Maharashtra SCERT’s NEP-aligned curriculum restores Mughal history in Class 7 textbook

Eight years after the Maharashtra government stripped school history textbooks of large portions on the Mughal empire, it may find more substantial representation in the state's new ones, with the State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT) proposing a new National Education Policy (NEP)-aligned history curriculum for Class 7.

The state's proposed curriculum has a dedicated section on the expansion of Mughal rule in India as well as its impact on the country's polity, social life and art and culture. Even as the Maratha rule and its founder Shivaji remain the focal point of the book, it also features two sections on Arab and Turkish conquests in the Indian subcontinent and Delhi Sultanate; and the Yadava dynasty.

The nod to the non-Maratha powers and their influences in the region in the draft syllabus is in stark contrast to the current text, where these powers are relegated to a few passages within a single chapter on 'Pre-Shivaji Era India'.

SCERT Textbooks: Maharashtra’s new history syllabus

The proposed new syllabus, in fact, has much in common with the one taught until 2017, before a drastic revision, overseen by a BJP-led state government, saw the book reoriented with a singular focus on the Marathas and Maharashtra.

The content on the medieval Indian rulers, including Delhi Sultanate, the Mughals, Vijayanagar and Bahmani empires and regional dynasties such as Pals, Rashtrakoots, Cholas, Rajputs and Yadavas was largely condensed. On the other hand, global developments such as feudalism in Europe, strengthening of trade between Asia and Europe and rise of Islam and Arabs were completely omitted.

The new draft curriculum for classes 3 to 8, released a week ago by the SCERT for public feedback, comes in the backdrop of contentious post-NEP school book revisions by its national counterpart, the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT). While Mughal history had entirely been removed from the NCERT's Class 7 history textbook, the Mughal rulers were described as 'brutal', while their reign was dubbed as 'darker period of history'. In contrast, the Maratha history is narrated in glowing terms.

While the state's new syllabus, which is yet to take a final shape or be translated into a textbook, continues to valorize the Marathas – using the term 'Hindavi Swarajya' (self-rule of Hindus) to describe the Maratha kingdom, describing Shivaji's administration as 'public welfare' and noting the Maratha ruler's efforts to fend off 'outside' incursions in India – the language used for Mughals and other powers is relatively neutral. A specimen question, however, does refer to Akbar as a 'welfare' king.

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The book also includes a few other royal families missing from the present curriculum such as the Karkotaka dynasty, which ruled over Kashmir valley and parts of northern India during the seventh and eighth centuries; and the Gond dynasties of the Gondwana region in central India.

The state began the process of revising textbooks in line with the new policy in 2023, with the drafting of the new state curriculum frameworks (SCF) for the foundational stage (pre-school to class 2) and school education (class 3-12). Accordingly, the new syllabus for the foundational stage was prepared last year, with the new books for class 1 introduced from the current academic year. The state plans to complete rolling out the revised texts by 2028-29.

Maharashtra SCERT: New curriculum for 20 subjects

SCERT has released the draft curricula for as many as 20 subjects for primary and secondary stages, including vocational education, which will be introduced in the state board schools from Class 6. However, a notable omission is the third language, as a state-appointed committee is looking into the ways to implement NEP’s three-language formula, following widespread outrage over the now-withdrawn plan to have Hindi as the mandatory third language in English and Marathi medium schools right from class 1.

According to an introductory note by the council, the new curriculum seeks to adopt an interdisciplinary and holistic approach in teaching social studies subjects of history, geography, civics, political science and economics. With an aim of developing a comprehensive worldview, the curriculum expects the students to pick common threads across local, provincial, national and global aspects of these disciplines.

Thanks to this approach, most of the history books, except for the one for Class 4, are set to look significantly different – for the fourth grade, the state body continues to prescribe the narrative history of Shivaji and Marathas as one half of ‘The World Around Us’ subject, which is currently named ‘Environmental Studies’.

For instance, the Class 8 textbook, which currently almost entirely focuses on the British Raj and the freedom movement, is being turned into a much broader study of the modern era. One of the extensive new sections in the book on ‘Social, Cultural and Political Institutions of Modern India’ is aimed at teaching about a diverse set of pre- and post-independence movements and organisations, including Christian missionaries, the Depressed Classes Institute and the Asiatic Society. It also includes sections on colonialism, ‘Modern Indian culture’ and its global impact and the formation of the constitution.

The details of the freedom struggle, on the other hand, are now spread across fifth, eighth, ninth and tenth grade social science textbooks.

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The fifth class Environmental Studies book, which earlier only focused on human evolution and prehistoric age, is set to be transformed into a more varied humanities textbook, covering everything from family system to civic issues and institutes to historical figures from the state such as Sambhaji, Dr BR Ambedkar and Jyotirao Phule.

A recurring theme throughout the new social studies curriculum is its emphasis on the ‘ancient Indian civilisation’. Here are some examples:

• The class 5 ‘The World Around Us’ (part-2) book has a section titled ‘We the inheritors of a proud heritage’ seeks to introduce students to ancient figures including Gautam Buddha, Bhaskaracharya, Panini and Sushruta.

• The class 6 history has a section talking about democracy in ancient India

• The class 9 sociology textbook is proposed to have a section on ‘Indian research’ comprising topics such as Vedic Mathematics, Yoga, Ayurveda and even spices.

NEP vs SCERT textbooks

According to Neeta Vaz, a social science teacher at St. Anne’s High School at Mumbai’s Malad, the NEP textbooks aim to present India-centric history with interconnected narratives that combine historical progression with modern relevance. However, she points out the new approach will make the books bulkier and more complicated.

Speaking about the Class 8 textbook, which covers the modern era, Vaz said. “There’s no link between the diverse content. It seems that the state is trying to bring everything under one roof. But there has to be a method to it.”

Welcoming the more ‘balanced’ Class 7 book, the history teacher also praised the inclusion of the country’s scientific, cultural, and technological legacy as well as “rich” descriptions of reform movements, such as farm, labour, women’s and Dalit movements, in the text. Vaz, however, advocated for more religious inclusivity and regional balance in the curriculum.

“The syllabus should recognise Muslim and Christian contributions to culture, reform, and independence of the country. Some of the states and historical figures are underrepresented, while women from diverse communities need more visibility,” she said.